1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus having means for regularly and smoothly winding a magnetic tape on reels of a tape cassette while such reels are incorporated within a complete cassette housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, a pair of reels having connected therebetween a leader tape are incorporated into a cassette housing. Then, a recorded magnetic tape or a blank magnetic tape is supplied to the above-mentioned tape cassette from the outside to be wound on the reels of the tape cassette for providing a complete video or audio tape cassette. More particularly, the reels having only the leader tape connected therebetween are rotatably secured within the cassette housing, the leader tape is withdrawn from the tape cassette housing in which the reels are rotatably secured, the magnetic tape supplied from the outside is connected to the withdrawn leader tape and the thus connected magnetic tape is wound on the reels of the tape cassette.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a conventional apparatus for carrying out the above-mentioned tape winding operation. This conventional tape winding apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Published Patent Application No. 49-30444. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 generally designates an overall arrangement of such a conventional tape winding apparatus. A cassette holder 2 is secured on the front of this tape winding apparatus 1, and a tape cassette 3, in which only a leader tape 4 is connected between its reels, is loaded onto this cassette holder 2. A tape supporting unit 5 and a first splice unit 6 are located in the vicinity of the tape cassette 3. The tape supporting unit 5 is not movable, while the first splice unit 6 is pivotably supported at its rotation shaft 6a and is movable about such shaft in the direction of the arrow A; so as to be spaced apart from the tape supporting unit 5. Above the tape supporting unit 5, there are provided second and third splice units 7 and 8 which are pivoted about respective rotation shafts 7a and 8a. When being rotated in the directions of the arrows B and C, the second and third splice units 7 and 8 are brought in contact with the tape supporting unit 5. Further, in this tape winding apparatus 1, a magnetic tape 10 wound around a large reel 9 is withdrawn from the reel 9 and supplied through a tension applying device 11 to the second splice unit 7. A splice tape (not shown) is wound around a reel 8b within the third splice unit 8.
The conventional tape winding apparatus 1 operates as follows: When the magnetic tape 10 to be wound on the reels of the tape cassette 3, the leader tape 4 is first withdrawn from the tape cassette 3 held on the cassette holder 2, and the thus withdrawn leader tape 4 is passed through the tape supporting unit 5 and the first splice unit 6. Then, the leader tape 4 is cut by the first splice unit 6, and severed end portions of the leader tape 4 thus cut are respectively supported by the tape supporting unit 5 and the first splice unit 6. Thereafter, the first splice unit 6 is rotated in the direction of the arrow A so as to be spaced apart from the tape supporting unit 5. The second and third splice units 7 and 8 are then respectively rotated in the directions of he arrows B and C so as to come in contact with the tape supporting unit 5, wherein the end portion of the magnetic tape 10 supplied to the second splice unit 7 is connected, by means of the splice tape (not shown) supplied from the third splice unit 8, to one severed end of the leader tape 4 supported by the tape-supporting unit 5.
At the completion of the above-mentioned connecting or splicing step, the third splice unit 8 is returned to its original position. Then, one reel 3a of the tape cassette 3 is rotated at high speed to wind therearound a predetermined amount of the magnetic tape 10 transported from the large reel 9. During such winding, the tension applying device 11 applies a predetermined tension to the magnetic tape 10 so that the magnetic tape 10 is wound on the reel 3a under such tension. At the completion of this winding, the magnetic tape 10 is cut by the second splice unit and the end portion of the thus cut magnetic tape 10 wound into the tape cassette 3 is supported by the tape supporting unit 5. Thereafter, the second splice unit 7 is angularly returned to its original position. Then, the first and third splice units 6 and 8 are again rotated in the respective directions so as to be brought in contact with the tape supporting unit 5, and the severed end portion of the leader tape 4 supported by the first splice unit 6 is connected by means of the splice tape (not shown) to the end portion of the magnetic tape 10 supported by the tape supporting unit 5. The thus spliced tape is removed from the tape supporting unit 5 and the first splice unit 6, and the reel 3a of the tape cassette 3 is rotated to complete winding of the tape on the reels of the tape cassette 3.
In this way, the tape winding apparatus 1 operates to wind the magnetic tape 10 on the reels of the tape cassette 3 whereby the manufacture of a tape cassette containing the magnetic tape 10 is completed.
However, since the magnetic tape 10 is wound on the reel 3a of the tape cassette 3 at high speed, the winding of the magnetic tape 10 tends to be very susceptible to irregularities. The tension applying device 11 is intended to avoid such defect, but the application of the tension to the magnetic tape 10 by the tension applying device 22 is not sufficient to fully prevent distortion of the winding of the magnetic tape 10, particularly at high winding speeds.